1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the production of a coupling segment of a segmented, elastic coupling, wherein an elastomer body is disposed between two metallic connection flanges, and the elastomer body is connected with the two connection flanges in material-fit manner, by means of vulcanization, to form a coupling body.
The invention furthermore relates to a segmented, elastic coupling having at least two coupling segments, which can be connected with one another to form the coupling.
2. Description of the Related Art
A segmented, elastic coupling is known, for example, from DE 202 12 204 U1, in the form of a segmented, rotationally elastic shaft coupling. This has two segments that can be connected with one another for the production of the segmented, rotationally elastic shaft coupling. Each segment has two metallic connection flanges, referred to as segment plates in the cited reference, which are connected with an elastomer body disposed between them, by means of vulcanization, with material fit. The connection flanges or segment plates are conventionally cut out from sheet-metal material.
Such a segmented, rotationally elastic shaft coupling is used, for example, in a torque-transferring drive train between an engine and a work machine, in order to damp rotational vibrations within the drive train. A typical application case is the drive train of a ship, between engine and propeller. In this connection, the rotationally elastic shaft coupling is flanged onto the adjacent machine elements, such as, for example, onto the flywheel of an engine or onto a shaft, with its drive flange or with its power take-off flange. Furthermore, such a segmented, rotationally elastic shaft coupling can balance out a radial and axial offset of individual sections of the drive train relative to one another. For example, the transmission of a ship is generally mounted in fixed manner, while the ship diesel is mounted elastically. The offset of the engine caused by vibrations and hull deformations is compensated by means of a segmented, rotationally elastic shaft coupling that is disposed between engine and transmission.
Such a segmented, rotationally elastic shaft coupling has multiple advantages as compared with a non-segmented, rotationally elastic shaft coupling. For example, for one thing, additional design-technology degrees of freedom occur. Furthermore, segmented, rotationally elastic shaft couplings having large dimensions can be brought to the location of use, in each instance, in disassembled form, installed there, and also be easily removed and transported away again.
With regard to the production of segmented, rotationally elastic shaft couplings, it should be stated that a customer-oriented individual design of the shaft couplings, particularly with regard to the number of segments desired, in each instance, and their dimensioning per shaft coupling, is very cost-intensive, because the segments conventionally have to be produced separately from one another, and a separate production process must be made available for every dimensioning of the segments.